Preamble Morning. If anything was going to soften the blow of leaving behind the lions, elephants, leopards, buffalos and Samburu tribespeople of Kenya - did I mention I was on holiday? - it was the rumour that England had dismissed Sri Lanka for 188 on the first day of a series they were generally expected to lose. In fact, I'd go so far as to say there was a spring in my step when I got up this morning: Kenyan time is three hours ahead of GMT and since we were dragged out of our tents every morning at 6am to go in search of reticulated giraffes and the like, my 3.45 alarm call today actually represented a luxurious lie-in. It was all I could do to stop myself waking up my Dutch flatmate and suggesting a quick hunt for the border collies and guinea pigs of SW18. But I digress. England, you will recall, are 49 for 1, with Michael Vaughan not out 13 and Ian Bell a sparkling 36 off 44 balls. It's a situation even the most pessimistic of England fans/OBO writers might call promising.

But... (and you didn't think you'd get away without a "but", did you?) there is always the Murali factor. Monty got some frightening turn yesterday and Murali is itching to take the five wickets he needs to pass Shane Warne's tally of 708. Sir Beefy has even ventured the view that he is "going to be a real handful". Well, stop the presses! Here, for what it is worth, is how I see it. England still need to be batting at stumps if they are going to win this game. If not, they will not have enough runs in the bank to counterbalance of batting last on a pitch that will probably get more uneven.

An email! "Just got in from a night out where my best friend (girl) got with my, er, best friend (boy) while I stood around being a distinctly out of season gooseberry," complains Nick Banks. "Any chance you could ensure Vaughan and Bell slog Murali to all parts of Kandy to cheer me up please? Thank you." Never let it be said the OBO doesn't bring you the news that matters.

18th over: England 57-1 (Vaughan 13, Bell 44) The definitive ice-breaker from Bell, who straight-drives Dilhara Fernando's first ball of the day to the on-side of the stumps and away for four. That was sumptuous. The last ball brings four more, but that was lucky: an attempted work to leg took the inside edge, hit the thigh pad and dribbled away past the diving Prasanna Jayawardene behind the stumps. Meanwhile, Gary Naylor - who else? - is still upset about the length of England's tail. "All the talk before the match was about how the pitch would be seamer-friendly, yet after just one day, the talk is about how the pitch will favour the spinners," he wails. "I've always thought that the weather is far more important than the pitch and that England should play two spinners far more often in hot conditions. Swann for Anderson would improve the batting and the bowling."

19th over: England 61-1 (Vaughan 14, Bell 47) Vaughan works his first ball of the day from Chaminda Vaas to midwicket for a single, before Bell uses an open face to guide him to third man for three. This is a flyer by Bell, but Aleem Dar doesn't like the fact that he ran straight down the middle of the pitch. A quick word is had. "Vic Marks thinks Kumar Sangakkara might be a better batsman than Ponting and Kallis," says James Braybrook, currently en route to Taupo in New Zealand. "How do you rate him and is he as good as Rob Key?" It's a tricky one, James. You're talking about four modern legends.

20th over: England 65-1 (Vaughan 14, Bell 51) Murali looms like a small, looming thing at mid-on, but it's Fernando who continues to Bell, who brings up an exquisite 57-ball half-century with a flick for four through midwicket. Now he needs to turn it into a big one. "Been doing my geography coursework all night (due in Monday!) and I can tell you the cricket has come as a welcome break... from sand-dune succession," reveals Guy Stevenson.

21st over: England 70-1 (Vaughan 15, Bell 55) Vaughan, almost anonymous so far and lucky still to be there after apparently falling lbw to Lasith Malinga yesterday before he had scored, pushes the first ball of Vaas's new over into the covers for a single. But it's merely the prelude for a picture-perfect drive for four through extra cover by Bell, who is playing like a diminutive demi-god. I think he's loving being back at No3, a position he last filled in Tests at Sydney in January. "Interesting that you should claim that Botham is (as is his wont) stating the bleedin' obvious in saying that Murali will be a handful, because he was totally anonymous in the two Tests in Australia last month," says, yes, Gary Naylor. "It was noticeable that the Aussies almost ran at him, so swift were they on their feet, so Murali couldn't settle into a line and length. I hope England don't retreat to their "block it or sweep it" mentality."

22nd over: England 71-1 (Vaughan 16, Bell 55) Vaughan is struggling with his timing a little, but he is also being made to look worse by the man at the other end. Even the way Bell is leaning on his bat at the non-striker's end exudes confidence, although that might just be my fevered imagination (not malarial, I might add: the mosquitoes in Kenya were thwarted by a combination of doxycyclin and loose-fitting, ankle-and-wrist length garments). Vaughan nudges Fernando's fifth ball into a gap at midwicket for a single and Bell defends the final delivery with ease.

23rd over: England 78-1 (Vaughan 22, Bell 55) A quiet over springs into life as Vaas finds a bit of lift outside off and surprises Vaughan, who skilfully rides the bounce and collects four to third man. It was a no-ball too, so that's five to the England total. Replays show that delivery disturbed the surface. Interesting. The over is completed by two to Vaughan - a nudge off his hip.

24th over: England 78-1 (Vaughan 22, Bell 55) This is all going rather swimmingly for England. Mahela Jayawardene would love to attack a new batsman with Murali, but Vaughan and Bell are not giving him the chance. Fernando is beginning to settle into his line after a shaky start, but Bell is resolute in defence, even if he does leave one delivery that wasn't a million miles away from off-stump. And then, just as I write that, a ball keeps low and shoots through. The message is clear: England need to win this game in the first innings. A maiden.

25th over: England 78-1 (Vaughan 22, Bell 55) Ah. Here comes Murali. Beefy is convinced he should have come on earlier, and I think I probably agree: these two have played themselves in. His threat is immediately apparent as he finds lavish turn into Vaughan and then unnerves him with a couple of doosras. Jayawardene does his part by intercepting a thick outside edge at slip: superb fielding. And another maiden.

26th over: England 79-1 (Vaughan 22, Bell 56) Bell picks up his first run for five overs by tucking Fernando off his hip for a single, but every other over now feels like a Murali interlude. "The doxycycline was thwarting the plasmodia (or plasmodiums - dunno I did woodwork not Latin) falciparum not the mosquitoes," says Dr John Williams, who works in the Infectious Diseases department at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. "The mosquitoes are merely taxi drivers." I stand educated.

27th over: England 83-1 (Vaughan 22, Bell 60) Bell faces Murali for the first time in the innings and is almost undone by the second delivery, which skids onto the batsman as he backs away. Was he expecting the doosra? And the same thing happens three balls later. Bell responds with a slightly desperate slog that brings him four runs over midwicket. But he was nowhere near the pitch of that. Another gripe from Gary Naylor. "Although I hate myself for saying it, Sky Sports really do us cricket fans proud with their coverage," he begins magnanimously. "Apart from employing too many dull commentators, they don't miss many tricks, so why is the speedgun reading in kph? 90mph for the fast men and 50mph for the spinners are excellent benchmarks which don't translate to kph easily. The pitch is still 22 yards in length isn't it?"

28th over: England 87-1 (Vaughan 26, Bell 60) That's Vaughan's best shot of the morning (or possibly his only shot of the morning): four off his hip as Fernando strays onto middle and leg. Beefy discerns reverse-swing. "Definitely reverse," he confirms. Expect Malinga any time soon. "I had my work christmas party on Friday night (in Sydney)," says James Clarke. "Back in work today, sat opposite one of the senior bosses. I've just had a flashback to her on the dancefloor, dancing with some random guy - and her pulling her skirt up and flashing him. I was the only one to see this (apart from said random guy), and as I remember, I spent the next hour telling anyone who'd listen about it. Now she's looking quite sheepish, and has said nothing to me. Could be standard post-party sheepishness. Possibly seething anger towards a minion who's contributed to the blackening of her name? How shall I handle this?" I'd begin by keeping it a secret, James. Whatever you do, don't let the story reach the internet.

29th over: England 90-1 (Vaughan 27, Bell 61) Bell reaches a long way outside off-stump as he tries to sweep Murali's first ball. He gets a bottom edge onto his boot and is relieved to see the ball fall safely in the gulley. Murali then spins one so far that it would have missed a third set of stumps and scoots away for a bye, before Vaughan drives fluently to wide mid-off for a single. Bell keeps the strike with a push to mid-on - nice use of the feet.

30th over: England 94-1 (Vaughan 27, Bell 65) Vaas replaces Fernando, and Bell goes down the track to his first ball, picking out mid-off with a drive that oozed fluency. If that's possible. And then, two balls later, he collects four, timing a slightly wider ball through the covers off the back foot. It was a bad ball, but punished perfectly. Are we seeing the making of Bell? Or will you all be emailing me in 15 minutes' time to curse me for putting the mockers on him? The latter, I suspect. "The official defintion is actually One Chain, which happens to be 22 yards," says Sunil X. "10 chains = 1 furlong. I'm not sure how many rods, poles or perches are involved. It's been a very long time since I had a school exercise book that had the conversion tables printed on the back of it."

31st over: England 95-1 (Vaughan 28, Bell 65) Vaughan is covering his off-stump against Murali with typical diligence and even seems to be able to pick the doosra: he was ready and waiting for that one. A thick inside edge to backward square for a single gives him the strike. "Any views on Vaughan as opener?" wonders Gary Naylor. "He leaves the ball so well, his shot selection is excellent and he is England's (maybe cricket's) most patient batsman - what more can one want in an opener? Michael Vaughan might not like Michael Vaughan at the top of the order, but I do." I like Michael Vaughan as an opener too, Gary. Not least because it frees Bell up to bat at No3, which is where he feels valued.

32nd over: England 97-1 (Vaughan 29, Bell 65) Vaughan shovels Vaas down the ground for a single and England have batted for an hour this morning without losing a wicket. Heady stuff. A no-ball cuts the deficit to 91, and then Bell almost edges a ball that goes across him after using his feet to Vaas. Does he need to do that when he's playing so well? "James Clarke (28th over) should send his post-Christmas party query to one of those magazines that can be found a little higher up the newsagent's shelves than The Wisden Cricketer," quips Gary Naylor. "I am led to believe that there is an avid readership for such material and no shortage of forthright advice." I'm led to believe that too.

33rd over: England 98-1 (Vaughan 30, Bell 65) Murali almost strikes with his second ball after the drinks break: Vaughan goes back as he prepares to cut but the ball follows him and he gets an inside edge to leg. Lucky. Murali then goes round the wicket and immediately surprises Vaughan with some extra bounce: the result is a single off a thick edge, an outside one this time. Incidentally, the clouds are rolling in. Bumble is talking nervously about a monsoon.

34th over: England 107-1 (Vaughan 37, Bell 67) Vaughan brings up the 100 stand with a glorious pull for four off Vaas, who has been unusually expensive today, and then adds a couple with a trademark flick off his hip. All the hard work early in his innings is starting to pay off now. Bell keeps his score ticking over with a tuck for two to the midwicket gap. Sri Lanka need two wickets before lunch to hang on in here. "You can only listen to TMS on line in the UK 'due to rights restrictions'," says Tom "No Relation" Bell in Bangkok. "Has anyone got any idea how you can get it working elsewhere?"

WICKET! Vaughan c Silva b Muralitharan 37 (107-2) And there's one of the wickets. Murali goes round the wicket, Vaughan misses an attempted work to leg and the ball ricochets to Chamara Silva at silly point. Aleem Dar raises the finger, but Vaughan doesn't like it, departing with a shake of the head. The first replay is inconclusive: did he touch it? Hard to say. 35th over: England 107-2 (Bell 67, Pietersen 0) Well, if Vaughan did get an inside edge, it wasn't obvious from the replay. In fact, I'd say Dar got that one wrong: Vaughan certainly thought so. He had the look of a man who had just arrived home from work to find his wife making love to to the plumber.

36th over: England 116-2 (Bell 76, Pietersen 0) Anyway, the upshot of that Dar mistake is that Murali now has 705 Test wickets: four more and he will pass Warne. Still, Vaughan shouldn't grumble: he was lbw to Malinga on 0 yesterday evening. Bell needs to reassert himself once more, and runs Vaas to third man for four, before repeating the dose with more confidence next ball. A back-foot push to deep cover means Bell will face Murali in the next over. "James Clarke's experience reminds me of our Christmas party in Melbourne last year," says Ian Forth. "The theme was "what you wanted to be when you grew up". A senior client came as a lifeguard and wore just a pair of groin hugging red speedos all night. I felt quite overdressed as Chris Cattlin, Coventry City left back from the early 70s (who now runs a rock shop in Brighton, fact fans), but did boast an authentic green and black striped away strip from the era which I had gone to some trouble to procure. Shouldn't have bothered - "Spider" Cattlin is hardly a household name in Coventry, let alone Melbourne, and I didn't even get mistaken for Tommy Hutchison or Willie Carr. This year the theme is magic. I'm thinking of coming as a wand. Any better suggestions welcome." Paul Daniels? Debbie McGee? The Great Soprendo?

37th over: England 118-2 (Bell 77, Pietersen 1) Bell is looking to be positive against Murali, but it isn't easy unless you can pick his variations and I'm not convinced Bell can do that just yet. Murali has tested him out a few times with a quicker ball that cramps Bell for space, but now he goes round the wicket and Bell sweeps him for a single. Kevin Pietersen has begun quietly before using those long levers to sweep the last ball of the over for a single. "Do Investec, no doubt a high-powered financial group populated by Sherman McCoyesque Masters of the Universe, know that they sponsor a drinks trolley that looks like it last saw service on a 1970s British Rail train?" asks the ever-inquisitive Gary Naylor.

38th over: England 120-2 (Bell 78, Pietersen 2) Prasanna Jayawardene comes up to the stumps to dissuade Pietersen from going walkabout against Vaas. But he's not going to go anywhere too early in his innings and contents himself with an awkward-looking jab into the covers for a single. Bell keeps the strike with a gentl push to deep point. Half an hour to go before lunch. "Ian Forth (36th over) could procure a black bin from which he could emerge from time to time dressed as a white rabbit," says Gary Naylor. "Well, it's no more ridiculous than pitching up as Chris Cattlin."

39th over: England 126-2 (Bell 82, Pietersen 4) Murali stays round the wicket, but he drops short and Bell has time to rock back and force him into the covers for three. Pietersen is then saved by an inside edge as the ball barely leaves the surface: oohs and aahs everywhere, and Pietersen might be relieved to escape the examination with a tuck to square-leg for one. Bell repays the favour with a single into the covers, before Pietersen leans back to take one more into the same region. Engrossing stuff.

40th over: England 130-2 (Bell 82, Pietersen 8) Here comes Malinga, who will test the batsmen in a different way: if he can locate the reverse-swing hinted at earlier by Fernando, Sri Lanka might fancy their chances of parting these two before lunch. The fourth ball is full - although it didn't swing a great deal - and Pietersen gets a thick outside edge to third man for four as he aimed to leg.

41st over: England 130-2 (Bell 82, Pietersen 8) The next 20 minutes are crucial: one dismissal brings in a new batsman to face Murali, and that could mean two wickets. With the tail England have - Ryan Sidebottom is at No8, for goodness sake - that could spell trouble. But if these two can survive until lunch, then dig in after the break, it will be Sri Lanka who will worry. A maiden from Murali to Bell, who seems to be reading the doosra now.

42nd over: England 132-2 (Bell 83, Pietersen 9) Pietersen makes sure everyone knows that ball from Malinga kept low, which it did. And which, at the risk of repeating myself, shows how important a decent first-innings lead is here for England. Pietersen whips a single to deep midwicket - Jayawardene is having to balance defence with attack - but Malinga is striving for reverse-swinging yorkers and lets out a cry of anguish as Bell gets a thick inside edge into the leg-side as he aims to drive. A single to third man gives Bell the strike. "The paranoia kicked in momentarily, but I've looked at her screen and she doesn't appear to be logged into the OBO," says James Clarke (see over 28). "Hardly surprising considering she's an Australian pom-basher. My cyber outburst might not reach her after all. Ian Forth (over 36): how about going as Timmy Mallett's erstwhile sidekick?"

WICKET! Bell c Silva b Muralitharan 83 (132-3) What a catch from Silva, who dives high to his left at short midwicket to end a super innings from Bell. He went down the track to Murali's last ball and didn't quite get hold of it. A century was his for the taking. And lunch was only 15 minutes away. Oh Belly. "Late, here in San Francisco," says Jeremy Bunting. "My girlfriend, Christine (an American) is baffled by cricket (and calls football 'soccer') and think its simply *weird* that I don't 'watch' the sport or listen to commentary - but *read* it! Is she right?" I think you know the answer to that question, Jezza.

44th over: England 139-3 (Pietersen 14, Collingwood 1) So, Murali now has 706 Test wickets: two more to equal Warne, three to pass him. I think he'll do it today. And if England aren't careful he will do it quickly enough to put Sri Lanka right back in the match. Pietersen holds the key for the time being, and manoeuvres Malinga into the off-side for a single. Ideally, he will be facing Murali at the start of the next over. But Paul Collingwood works Malinga's fifth ball to deep midwicket for one to get off the mark. And although Pietersen whips the scheduled last ball, a no-ball, for four - Malinga is still striving for leg-stump yorkers - Collingwood will have to deal with Murali.

45th over: England 139-3 (Pietersen 14, Collingwood 1) What was I worrying about? Collingwood defends Murali with relative ease, but Murali makes the ball misbehave out of the rough outside the right-hander's leg-stump. A maiden.

46th over: England 145-3 (Pietersen 18, Collingwood 1) Malinga drops short and Pietersen simply murders him through cover off the back foot for four. Malinga changed his length in that over, doing away with the yorkers, but Asad Rauf no-balls one of his effort deliveries (for overstepping, I hasten to add, not chucking), and that might prevent Murali for fitting in another over. Another no-ball as Malinga tries to tempt Pietersen into a crazy hook just before the break, but that is lunch. England have scored 96 for the loss of Vaughan (unluckily) and Bell (caught brilliantly). There's still a lot to play for, so join me at 7.40am GMT for live coverage of the second session. But before we go... "Thanks for your suggestions," says Ian Forth. "Maybe I'll go as Alessandro del Piero who I seem to remember was/is called the "magician". I can wear the same shirt as last year and claim that Inter Milan play in green and black stripes since no-one will be any the wiser in Aussie-Rules-obsessed Melbourne."